ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the wild capture fisheries and aquaculture separately as the main issues are different. Almost all fisheries have developed in a similar manner, starting from small-scale artisanal capture methods based on hook and line, small nets, fish traps or hand gathering. In private fisheries and most forms of aquaculture, the most basic requirement of sustainability, allowing the species to maintain its population, is always satisfied, though other requirements of sustainability like environmental damage and predator control may not be safeguarded. Awareness of the unsustainable nature of many fisheries has been growing for years, and NGOs, such as the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), have been encouraging people to eat sustainable fish and avoid the most threatened species. Aquaculture is producing a high-value product; fish are a good source of quality protein, rich in essential amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
